Group Blog-Ryan Coffey

In the early sixteenth century, members of the German clergy of the Cathloc Church sent a list of grievances about some of the church's practices including the matters of indulgences, communion, etc. The papacy ignored the eastern Europeans and instead decided to continue as planned. But in 1517, a man named Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Thesis criticizing various practices that he felt were either corrupt or needed tweaking. Johann Jetzel, a prominent seller of indulgences was going to come by and give his sales pitch, which Luther knew about. Luther was reported to the papacy as a possible problem. His thesis was published thousands of times over. His translation of the Bible into German also angered the papacy. Before he could be sentenced to death, the papacy decided it needed the help of Prince Frederich in order to keep the Hapsburgs and Charles the Fifth out of power. Of course this did not work, but the political nature of the church saved him. As he grew more popular amongst the north and eastern European rulers, Luther was increasingly protected. In Worms he participated in a debate with other Cathloc leaders. He was declared a heretic, but the princes hid him.
The Cathloc church refused to change its ways for the most part, but the new protestant church had its problems as well. Zwingli and Luther got in a debate about whether the bread that was broken at communion was really the body of Christ. Zwingli believed it was figurative and took a group of followers and started their own religious sect. As differences in beliefs surfaced, the protestant church became increasingly fractured. But because many were dissatisfied with the Cathloc Church, the protestant churches continued to grow. The Anglican church was popular because it had many of the beliefs of Luther, but continued on with the traditional Cathloc worship, meaning that it was not too unfamiliar. Indulgences were done away with and the belief that one could have a personal relationship with God became the cornerstone of the protestant belief system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5P7QkHCfaI
http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/martin-luther.jpg